The Wrong Melody
by CuddlyGoblin
Summary: Sarah was the girl who fell into the Naruto world, but she grew up and lived her life. Now it's her granddaughter who has to deal with being different in a world full of ninjas.


Naruto Uzumaki. He wasn't in my class so there was no reason for me to pay attention to him even with all the pranks. He wasn't my problem so why should I bother keeping an eye on him. Only right now he was the bane of my existence.

I could have slept in this morning before going back to the Academy to get ready for the next batch of kids coming in. But I was up all night hunting this kid down because he decided to go and steal some fucking scroll. As for my morning, I woke up too early only to be interviewed/interrogated for hours on end.

"Aria Kinoshita." A tall man with scars on his face walked into my classroom, not bothering to knock. He was wearing the T&I uniform with a black trench coat.

"Morino-san."

He sighed as he sat down in the chair across from my desk. "We're almost done here so let's just hurry this along."

"I already talked to other guys. What else do you need from me? Uzumaki wasn't even in my class and I barely talked to Mizuki."

"Why is that?"

"My appearance tends to weird people out and I couldn't be bothered to put in the effort."

Morino chuckles and a rather scary grin stretches across his face. "Since we got that out of the way let's talk about the actual reason I'm here. Hinata Hyuga."

"Hyuga-sama wanted her placed into my class. I had her cousin a while back and I guess I did something right with him." Neji Hyuga was one of the few children I bothered to check in on. He never gave me the impression of saying positive things about me, so I was surprised when Hiashi Hyuga, the head of the Hyuga Clan, expressed an interest in me teaching his daughter.

"Did the Head want you to keep an eye on his daughter? The other teachers told me that when he came to the Academy he went out of his way to talk to you."

I nodded, "Hinata-san has always been shy from what I've seen and intimidated by Uzumaki. She kept her distance from him and had decent grades. I saw no reason for me to step in and take her from Umino."

I have no idea what the commanding officer of T&I is getting from me but as long as he hurries this up. There is a tub of chocolate ice-cream waiting for me at my house.

"He did manage a lot of the clan heirs just fine, I'll give him that. And as for your-"

"Foreign origins?"

He glared at my interruption, "According to the Council you've proven yourself to be loyal to Konoha but I'll be keeping an eye on you." In one, obviously practiced, movement he rose from the chair and walked out of the room. His coat fluttering around him in a dramatic fashion.

I could have handled that conversation better but with only 3 hours of sleep, my body and mind were aching.

The classroom was spotless and my paperwork is done and organized but I couldn't find it in myself to get out of the chair. I had a small, thin, black cushion on my seat that was a blessing most days and right now it was the most comfortable thing in the world.

But things need to be done. A get well card needed to be signed and delivered and maybe I'll get Umino some flowers too. He was betrayed and stabbed by a close friend after all.

I do pass as extremely anti-social to most people. With my tattoos, piercings, and hairstyle I can be a terrifying sight. Too eye-catching for a shinobi and labeled a weirdo gave me a damaged reputation. Coming on as a teacher here helped my image. The kids saw my tattoos and piercings as interesting and the other teachers went out of their way to make small talk with me. Iruka Umino had been the first to extend a friendly hand and I have always been thankful for that.

So yes, a card and defiantly some flowers.

/

I stood outside the flower shop finishing my last cigarette and enjoying the sun. People stared, but they always stare and it was easy to brush off. One little girl, in particular, had been staring a bit longer than the rest of the people and it was starting to get on my nerves.

She stood behind the counter inside the shop and wore a yellow apron over her purple outfit. Long blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail and bright blue eyes that never strayed from my form. A student probably, but definitely not from my class.

With a sigh, I tossed my trash into the garbage can next to the door and finally walked in.

" ** _Namaste_**." I waved at her as she seemed to choke on her own spit. "I need some help."

"K-Kinoshita-sensei." Her eyes widened and I tried to hold in my laughter and instead gave her a big smile.

"Umino-san is in the hospital and I want to get him a little something. Any suggestions?"

She darted around the counter giving me a nervous look, "Of course. I just put out some chamomile flowers today. The white would go good with these blue cornflowers. Or there are pre-"

"Those first ones you said sound nice. We can put those in a small vase or something." She seemed like the type to brattle on and on due to nerves. Perfectly understandable but my head was still hurting and the cigarette didn't help any.

The Yamanaka, her tag identified her as Ino, fluttered around gathering the flowers and preparing them for a small glass vase.

"Excuse me." I didn't think she would try to make conversation. She probably wanted to put her kunoichi skills to work. "What was that word you said when you came in?"

 _ **"Namaste**_?", she nodded. "It's like a greeting/farewell. My grandmother said it all the time."

"She wasn't...from here?"

People never knew how to breach the topic of my race without coming across as awkward. "She was _**American**_. From across the sea."

"Really?"

"Yep. There was a shipwreck and then she washed up here. My grandfather tried to help her get back home, but they fell in love and settled down here in Konoha."

"That is so romantic." She gasped and clutched her heart. "Oh. It's like straight out of a book."

The cliche and steamy romance books found in the back of the library.

"Is that where you get your style from?"

The flowers are almost ready. "She was big on tattoos and piercings like a lot of people in her homeland, so it's like she passed it onto my father and I. The hair is more of a _**Viking**_ style not really _**American**_." I touched one of the thicker braids in my hair.

The ribbon was almost wrapped around the vase in a near-perfect bow. "I had no idea a half-shaved head could look so fashionable."

That got a gut-wrenching laugh out of me and I slapped the money on the counter. "I make it work," I said after catching my breath.

She gave me the flowers with a slightly pink face.

" _ **Namaste**_ Ino Yamanaka."


End file.
